Major Storm Warnings Issued as Megastorm Threatens 200 Million

Despite a heatwave over the weekend on the West Coast, much of the Eastern and mid-Atlantic is still facing sporadic, severe Winter weather.

Forecasters at AccuWeather have warned that current storms would spread eastward and threaten much of the eastern U.S. as the new week begins, with mid-Atlantic states and Washington DC at greatest risk for high winds and tornadoes.

The outlet predicted "heavy snow, damaging winds and widespread travel disruptions" as more than 200 million people, stretching from Florida to the Great Lakes, in what meterologists are dubbing a "triple-threat megastorm."

“This storm is creating a dangerous combination of heavy snow and strong winds across the Upper Midwest,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Adam Douty stated. “Blizzard conditions, blowing snow and snowfall rates of 2 to 4 inches per hour are making travel extremely difficult, if not impossible, in some areas.”

Over 4,300 cancelled Monday flights have been reported, as of 3 pm Eastern Time. Airports in Boston, Chicago, New York, Charlotte, Orlando, and Atlanta bore the brunt of most of these flight disruptions.

Further scheduling changes are expected through widespread school closures, especially in the South Carolina to Maryland areas. “The strongest storms today could produce wind gusts approaching hurricane force in localized areas,” Douty told the outlet. “Winds above 60 mph could bring down trees and power lines and cause widespread travel disruptions on highways and at airports.”

Additionally, these outages can cause disruption at various workplaces and educational institutions. Outages in Michigan and Wisconsin are among the most potent and widespread, as winds and heavy snow combine to create hazardous blizzard conditions. Snowfall in these areas has been reported at approximately 2 to 4 inches per hour from Monday.

Furthermore, strong wind gusts are blowing and drifting snow sharply, reducing visibility. Discretion is advised to drivers and other travellers in the area, and only essential travel is encouraged until the megastorm passes.